We’ve been through Giving Tuesday and holiday gift-giving and year-end donations, and now it’s time for me to ask: If you have any coin left over, please consider throwing a bit my way to become (or remain) a Field of Schemes supporter! This site takes a considerable amount of time and expense to keep up with, and paid ads don’t pay much of the bills, so I’ve been fortunate enough that you readers have been willing to toss your loose change in the tip jar to help keep this site going into its third decade.
This year, in addition to my undying appreciation (estimated retail value: incalculable), FoS supporters at every level will get a brand-new token of my esteem: a pair of newly designed Field of Schemes refrigerator magnets, featuring some of your favorite stadium scam facts in a design honoring the “Did You Know?”–style cartoons on 1970s sports cards:
In addition, donors at the $50 and $100 level will, as always, get a slot in the rotating ad space in the top right corner of this site (for six months and one year, respectively) to do with as you please. (I can help design ads if you have an idea but no artistic skills, and donating ad space to a favored charity is always welcomed.)
And, of course, you’ll get me continuing to produce this site, for free access to all, for another year. I still have plans for a couple more FoS 20 interviews before this 20th anniversary year is over in April, and some other ideas for special projects in the hopper as well, all of which are much easier to devote time to when I don’t have to scramble for other ways to pay the bills.
And whether you choose to become a Supporter or not, thank you all for helping make this site more than just one person shouting at clouds, but rather a community, with your insightful comments, your emailed news tips, and your Mark Davis quips. In the increasingly lowest-common-denominator world that is the internet, this site manages to continue to have daily conversations that are funny and free-wheeling but also mostly serious and respectful, and that is a rare and valuable thing.
And now, let’s all celebrate another year of observing stadium and arena scams by watching the Milwaukee Bucks‘ old arena get blown up, just 30 years and a few months after it was opened, solely because the team’s owners wanted a new one and pretended the NBA would force the team to move without one. (Form for signing up for or renewing your Supporter status is below the video.)
Have you tried threatening to move to bring in more donations?
I’m scheduling meetings with the Dark Web as we speak.
I wonder if any team has tried imploding their arena before demanding a new one.
That would *really* signal that they mean business!
Is that the sports equivalent of killing your parents and demanding leniency because you’re an orphan?
The circumstances may be unusual, but under those circumstances you would undeniably be an orphan… just sayin’.
Now you got me curious about seeing the walls fall down
Neil, you know darned well that the Bradley Center was killed because the Bucks owners wanted to control the arena lease, and because the site didn’t allow for east-west expansion. If those hurdles weren’t there, I am confident that the owners would’ve let the public pay for a renovation instead.
I know damned well that the Bucks would still be playing at the Bradley Center if they hadn’t gotten a new arena built for them.
I have no idea what straw man you’re arguing against here, Ben, but I hope you’re enjoying yourself.
Howdy,
How do we let you know where to send the magnets? Do you get the address from the billing info?
Howdy,
How do we let you you know where to send the magnets? Does them billing/shipping info show up with the payment?
I will email you a mailing address request, one sec!
(Fact Check) Is Talking Stick Resort Arena a driver of downtown Phoenix’s economy?
BOTTOM LINE:
Economic research shows that sports arena construction and development has a minimal impact on a city economy and new businesses.
Although downtown entertainment venues and sports facilities can shape a city’s social and cultural appeal to residents, tourists and future investors, from an overall economic standpoint, the effects aren’t significant.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/fact-check/2019/01/18/economic-impact-talking-stick-resort-arena-phoenix-suns-mayor-thelda-williams/2473561002/